Frequently asked questions

QF-Test is a professional tool for the creation, execution and management of automated system and load tests for Java and Web applications with a graphical user interface (GUI).

QF-Test has been developed and distributed by Quality First Software GmbH (QFS) since 1999.

Detailed information about QF-Test is available at www.qfs.de/en/qftest/index.html.

Swing (including Applets, Webstart, ULC, CaptainCasa) and SWT, the Standard Widget Toolkit from Eclipse, including Plugins and RCP (Rich Client Platform) applications. QF-Test also supports cross-browser testing of Web GUIs including web2.0/AJAX.

Easy to use

• Quick creation of tests with capture and playback
• Excellent usability through QF-Test's intuitive GUI
• Simple composing of complex tests without the need for programming

Highly flexible

• Automatic adaptation to changes in the application under test
• Intelligent recording and filtering
• Full access to recorded sequences
• Support for trees and tables, even with dynamic content

Powerful

• Powerful algorithms for component recognition
• Advanced programming elements if desired, like loop constructs and logical 'if/else' control structures as well as variables and procedures allowing modularization
• Text processing with regular expressions
• Full access to the Java API of the application under test
• Integrated scripting with Jython or Groovy
• XML/HTML based test reporting, incl. screenshots

Well documented

• An extensive manual (> 500 pages) containing a user's guide with many examples and a reference section
• Tutorial for getting a quick start, with many easy to understand test scenarios
• FAQ for basic questions
• Both English and German language support
• Example test-suites

QF-Test is officially supported on Windows (Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000) and Linux platforms, although it is also being used in production environments on other systems including Solaris, AIX, HP-UX and Mac OS-X.

All JDKs compatible with the Java specification, e.g. Sun, IBM, Excelsior JET and others. JDK version 1.3 or higher for the system under test. QF-Test requires Java version 1.4 or higher for itself. QF-Test supports Eclipse/SWT from 3.2 on Windows and Linux with 32 and 64bit.
For web testing: Internet Explorer from version 6, Mozilla from 1.8, Firefox from version 1.5, SeaMonkey from version 1.0.

There are two versions of QF-Test which are maintained on different branches:

• On the stable branch changes are made only for maintenance and bug-fixing purposes. This version is intended for production use.
• The development branch always contains the latest features and improvements. Versions on this branch are also tested extensively before a release and are by no means unstable. They are ideal starting points for new users and give customers a chance to prepare for an upgrade to the next stable release.

The QF-Test versioning scheme is explained in detail at http://www.qfs.de/de/qftest/upgrades.html.

As QF-Test provides multiple interfaces (batch and daemon mode, scripting, ...) and uses XML as primary data format a flexible combination and communication with other tools is possible.

• Continuous integration and build tools (Ant, Maven, CruiseControl, Hudson, Bamboo, ...)
• Version management (CVS, Subversion, ClearCase, ...)
• Issue and defect tracking (Bugzilla, JIRA, ClearQuest, TestTrack Pro, Mantis, ...)

Special out-of-the-box integrations are available for the following test management products:

• QualityCenter from HP
• TestBench from Imbus
• TestLink, Open Source Solution

More than 500 companies from 35 countries, ranging from small ones to global players, among them the eight largest IT service providers worldwide. (see www.qfs.de/en/company/references.html for some examples).

Though indispensable, unit tests can only test small parts of a system in isolation (steering-wheel OK, motor OK). GUI based testing exercises an application as a whole (steering-wheel and motor taken together don't guarantee roadworthiness).

Automated software testing reduces time and costs spent on quality assurance. Comprehensive automated tests, executed regularly during software development, will detect bugs at an early stage. The reproducible security thus achieved ensures higher quality and shorter time to market at lower maintenance expense. A tool with reliable component recognition and low maintenance effort is a precondition, however.

Thanks to the low price for licenses in comparison to competitors' tools and the ease of use of QF-Test you can start quickly with efficient testing and have a high return on investment. Just compare the costs for licenses with common costs for developer's or tester's wages and the costs of bugs detected after release - not to mention the damage to your company's image.

Yes. Please visit www.qfs.de/en/qftest/download.html.

As long as you are not using QF-Test in a production environment, get the development version. Please see the answer to question 6 or the detailed description at http://www.qfs.de/de/qftest/upgrades.html for further information.

Normally a license file is required to run QF-Test. It will run without a license, but it will not let you save any files or load any files that were not provided by Quality First Software GmbH. This is sufficient for getting a first impression, working through the tutorial and making a first attempt at running your application under QF-Test. To go beyond that, you'll need a license file.

You can obtain a free evaluation license valid for 4 weeks by filling in the request form at www.qfs.de/cgi-bin/eval.

License types and prices for QF-Test are listed at www.qfs.de/en/qftest/license.html.

No. QF-Test handles multi user license management itself.

• Before asking for help, please read through this FAQ to see if your question has already been answered.
• For beginners the learning-by-doing Tutorial proves useful, further questions are answered by the Manual.
• Webinars for beginners every Monday 16:00 CEST. Registration via qfs@qfs.de.
• There is a mailing list for QF-Test questions and discussions that you can subscribe to (see www.qfs.de/mailman/listinfo/qftest-list). At www.qfs.de/archive/qftest-list the list archive is available which contains lots of helpful postings (full text search possible).
• During evaluation period of QF-Test we grant free support via email qftest@qfs.de or phone +49 (0)8171 3864820.
• For customers we offer support with a guaranteed response time in the form of our Software Maintenance Agreement (see www.qfs.de/en/qftest/support.html).

QF-Test trainings for beginners and advanced users in German and English language take place regularly here at QFS. There is also the option for webinar-based or on-site consulting and training. Details can be found at www.qfs.de/en/qftest/training.html.

Enhancement requests should preferably be sent to the mailing list (see above), but they are also welcome anytime at qftest@qfs.de.

Simply send an email to qftest-bug@qfs.de. and we will have a look. Please be sure to provide as much information as possible, especially test-suites and run-logs.